Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions [A Cookbook]

Very pretty, an interesting read, and a great coffee-table book. But good luck finding the ingredients. I live in Boston, where are there are a few Japanese shops, but I found the book nearly useless as an actual cookbook. No practical substitutions.

This is a fantastic book full of recipes that are clearly intended for people at home who want to make simple, delicious, and healthy food with layers of complex flavor. All but a few of the recipes are quite simple, and honestly many of the key ingredients can be shipped! There just are not that many books out there like this. She even throws in a bunch of interesting cultural facts in the recipes that are a lot of fun to read about.The reason for the 4/5 rating is what others have mentioned: the lack of pictures. Sometimes, for something that you have never even heard of, an image of what you are shooting for would really help. And there are pictures, but an image, even a small one, of every recipe would have been really nice.Final comment: the "Green and Green on Greens" salad is the best salad I have ever eaten and it has kind of ruined all others for me forever.

By working your way through this cookbook, carefully including the back material on equipment, methods, and ingredients, you can obtain a very good education in Japanese cooking. You will be well trained in the complete use of a product, in the reuse of cooking liquids and flavoring agents. You will be convinced that you should try making your own tofu so that you have okara (tofu lees). You will be convinced that it is worth maintaining a pickling bed that needs daily maintenance. You will know to include rice, soup, and pickles in your basic meal and then choose vegetable dishes to do with it - including the required colors and flavors. You will know that you can use a single vegetable for several dishes - varying by cooking method or part of plant used.What you will not know is what 4 or 5 typical vegan/vegetarian meals are composed of, how they are presented and how they are eaten. Your only instruction is to choose a substantial dish - rice or noodle - then one item from each of three chapters: "Fresh from the Market", "The Well-Stocked Pantry", and "Mostly Soy". Note this omits soup and pickles which we are elsewhere told are foundational. While one can probably work out the required flavors and cooking methods, it would be much more informative to see example actual meals. This omission cost a star.

I have both of Elizabeth Andoh's books on Japanese cuisine, both of which are of equally rarefied caliber. However, this review focuses especially on Andoh's book entitled KANSHA: CELEBRATING JAPAN''S VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN TRADITIONS.I have been acquiing books concerning cuisine, particularly Asian cuisine, all of my life. I purchased KANSHA in March of 2033., and utilized it on, in retrospect, a superficial basis.The "Gold Mine" i refer to in my title to this review refers in part to the uniquely new Japanese foodstuffs and the distintive Japanese herbs and spices that expanded my culinary horizons. However, when I recently took an in-depth examination of this book, and its uniquely vegan recipe, and the scope of Andoh's breath-taking culinary vision and captive prose regarding Japanese vegetarian cuisine, that struck me with such powerful force..I have been transitioning to an alkaline diet and lifestyle, a subject about which I have purchased a number of book, which have left me with a knowledge which lift me feeling incomplete. The I belatedly pulled Andoh's KANSHA: CELEBRATING JAPAN'S VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN TRADITIONS, which filled a colossal gap in my perspective - what a glaring contrast. .

The information on Kansha is invaluable and seems well rounded. The recipes are delicious and I will use them often. My one gripe is that there aren't enough images. I am a very visual learner and eater, so this is definitely a difficulty for me. That said, this is such a great book in both recipes and information that I will absolutely push through in order to use it. If it was a lesser cookbook, I would give it away.

This book is readily available in the US, and printed in English, meaning I am a target consumer.We have a brand new Japanese market in town with specialty items that include the likes of bamboo shoots and buttermilk bread fresh from the bakery. However, when trying to make my first dish after already spending $40, I asked if they had the remaining key ingredients that essentially "make" the dish what it is, and they didn't really know what I was talking about, from dried tofu varieties to, flower pedals, to this and that... It's not worth it., in my humble opinion.This is an AMAZING book for learning, reading, and becoming a 5 star vegetarian Japanese chef, after you've already moved to Japan. I mean, this book goes all out, it does not hold the reins in one bit. But even with a brand new, modernized, and well stocked Japanese market down the road, I find it nearly impossible to utilize beyond... Japanese white rice.Utilizing this book outside of Japan is not recommended unless you want to simply learn and possibly eat the paper itself due to lack of ingredients.

Very recently, we travelled to Japan to meet our son and our new Japanese daughter in law. As Vegans, we offered to cook all week so that they wouldn’t need to be stressed about our shojin ryori approach to food. However, we were woefully unprepared to make full use of Japanese produce and techniques, and as such, didn’t do a good job of introducing this way of living to our family. When I returned, I purchased several cookbooks to improve our ability to cook culturally appropriate vegan meals.Without reservation, I can say that this is the best cookbook of all those that we ordered. The author provides thorough and thoughtful explanations of her approach to plant based cooking. The techniques, tools, ingredients, and recipes are all clear. I feel like I will be much better prepared to cook for them when they visit us over the holidays.Much kansha to miss Andoh for creating this wonderful book.

It's so beautiful!! I'm afraid to put it in my kitchen because I don't want to get it dirty!!

Culinária japonesa vegetariana de verdade. Não tem muitas fotos, o que exige um conhecimento básico dos ingredientes e utensílios utilizados (e seu manuseio) na culinária japonesa, o que não faz do livro menos excelente. Vale muito a pena para quem tem interesse nesse tipo de preparo que tem suas raízes no Budismo e suas regras alimentares.

A must-have especially for a vegetarian in Japan. I love the unagi-modoki recipe!!

Authentic recipes that are well-detailed and delicious!

Having recently moved to Japan, I have been anxious to learn about Japanese cooking. I found Andoh's previous book, Washoku, invaluable. It has been like my bible. I have used it about 5 times a week since moving here. I've been waiting for this new book for a long time. There is no one like Andoh to explain authentic Japanese food to non-Japanese. She is like the Julia Child of Japan. Her recipes are thorough, easy to read and use, and tell you a lot about Japanese culture and thought along the way. If you are a vegan or a vegetarian and like Japanese food, this is the book for you. There's nothing else like it. She knows how to coax the authentic flavors out of the ingredients, and put everything to good use. Even if you are not a vegetarian, this is an important book to learn more about Japanese thought and culture and to add to your Japanese repertoire. Beautifully photographed and written, i can't put it down.